Reasons to Duel
by Durbe the Barian
Summary: "Kaito duels to protect Haruto. But who's going to protect Kaito?" "There's your reason to duel, Droite-san. And a worthy one, in my eyes." Such was the start of a promise made. – Tenjo Week.


**Zexal Oneshot**

**Reasons to Duel**

**Angst/Friendship**

**Kaito, Haruto, Sirius, Droite**

"**Kaito duels to protect Haruto. But who's going to protect Kaito?" "There's your reason to duel, Droite. And a worthy one, in my eyes." Such was the start of a promise made. – Tenjo Week.**

**(Own nothing more than Sirius.)**

* * *

Reasons to Duel

* * *

Whenever Kaito returned from practice, Haruto always noticed that he was sleepy. Like whatever he did during classes left him exhausted. If he possessed the want to speak up about it, he would have.

Unfortunately, Haruto himself was often too mentally exhausted to do so.

But then came the time when Kaito came to visit Haruto with a band-aid on his cheek. Unlike the other times, when a wave of lethargy would pass through the small child, thus preventing him from doing much of anything, that time, Haruto found the strength of will to touch his brother's face.

Right where the injury was.

He didn't speak, but Kaito found the response touching just the same. And he proved it by placing his palm against Haruto's cold hand. Then he smiled. It wasn't a big smile, but it did the job.

Haruto noticed it.

Then Kaito looked up, quickly noticing Haruto's favorite insect. "Look, Haruto," he said, raising his hand slightly. "A butterfly."

It landed gently on his fingertips, just as they always did. His father always did say that he was the type of person creatures liked, after all.

Without wasting a moment, while at the same time being extremely careful so as not to scare the butterfly away, he showed it to Haruto.

That time, Haruto showed no emotion. He didn't even turn to look at it.

Kaito kept his smile strong, but any emotions he felt bled into his face.

Sadness.

Sadness that he was incapable of freeing his brother from the nightmares that entangled him.

And a solemn promise to himself.

That he would wake Haruto from that dream and free him from his nightmares.

Even if it killed him.

* * *

Droite had no intention of spying on Kaito. She had just gone to see if he was alright. Not to mention, she also wanted to thank him for saving her during Duel Practice that day.

But instead, she saw that which he failed to hide.

"Kaito...," she breathed, her eyes locked on the sight before her.

Fortunately for Droite, Kaito didn't hear her, nor did he notice her presence. Otherwise, he would have turned and asked her why she was there.

There was another, however, who did notice.

And who did ask.

"Droite-san?"

Droite turned to look behind her.

Sirius, the youngest of the four, no doubt, was walking up to her, his hand rubbing against the back of his head. However, this made perfect sense and left Droite no room to question. During classes, Sirius had been among the many other students who had been knocked out by the dueling robot. Naturally, such an attack left him with a throbbing headache.

"Sirius," Droite said. "What are you doing here?"

"Getting some fresh air," Sirius responded. "The doctors told me not to sleep, and breathing in the same air as Mr. Heartland makes me want to get some good air before I suffocate. What about you?"

Droite found his answer slightly amusing – Sirius' sarcasm hardly changed, injured or no – but did not know how to answer his question.

So he took to looking out onto the balcony himself.

His answer was given to him in a moment.

"Are you being a 'snoop,' Droite-san?" Sirius asked.

"Of course not," Droite answered, partially snapping. "It's nothing like that."

"Then what is it?"

Droite looked outside. "I was just thinking."

"About?"

She allowed herself to fall against the wall; softly, so as not to alert Kaito. "Kaito is learning how to duel to protect his brother," she said.

"Oh," Sirius breathed, leaning against the wall himself. Embarrassingly for him, he was a good head shorter than Droite. "I see. So that's his reason. Thank you for clearing that up for me. I honestly didn't know what it might have been."

Droite wasn't all that sure if he was being serious or not. But then again, he was often like that, so what could she say?

She then looked to the ground. "Yes, but if he's protecting Haruto, then who's going to protect Kaito?"

Sirius chuckled and closed his eyes, head low. "Sounds like you found your reason, Droite-san," he said.

"Hmm?"

"I don't know you half as well as Gauche does," he raised his head and opened one eye, giving her a sidelong glance; "but I know you well enough to realize when you've given yourself a mission of your own."

Droite was slightly taken aback.

"There's your reason to duel, Droite-san. And a worthy one, in my eyes." Sirius then pushed himself away from the wall and looked towards Kaito. The butterfly had flown away, and Haruto's blue hair was poking out from the side.

Looked as if he was falling asleep.

Sirius chuckled, then stood tall once again; slowly, so as not to make his head pound. "You humans are all amazing sometimes," he said. "You can find your reason for dueling so quickly."

If Droite hadn't grown used to Sirius' 'alien' speech – as Gauche called it – she would have wondered what he meant by 'humans.'

"Gauche wants to duel to please children," Sirius continued. "Tenjo wants to protect his brother, Haruto. And now it seems even you have found your reason." He tilted his head back slightly. "I, on the other hand, am still searching for it. That little truth that not even the worst duelist can deny."

"You mean you don't know why you came?" Droite asked.

"No. I know why I came." Sirius looked back. "I'm just trying to figure out why I duel. But for now," he began to walk away; "I think I might have an idea."

"And what might that be, Sirius?"

Sirius grinned, though she was unable to see it. "I can't tell you that right now, but let's just say it's a promise."

"A promise?"

Sirius nodded, then turned a corner, pulling him out of sight.

That left Droite standing there for a moment before realizing that Kaito was preparing to take his brother inside.

She was down the hall in ten seconds.

* * *

The next day, the students found themselves stuck with individual teachers. That left little time for anybody to talk with anybody except for during lunch. Kaito, however, used this time to work on his deck and strategies. With Chris as his teacher, he was most certainly going to need it.

"Gee, Kaito," Gauche groaned. "Haven't you ever heard of taking a break?"

"Not now, I can't," Kaito answered, refusing to look up at the dark-skinned teenager. "Chris and I are going to be training soon. I don't want to fail as his student."

"I don't think you've got any problems, Kaito," Gauche said. "I mean, come on, you and Chris are like brothers. He'll go easy on you."

"Actually, Gauche," Sirius said, approaching from behind, "it's because they are like brothers that he will be a very strict taskmaster."

"What makes you say that?" Gauche asked.

Sirius shrugged. "Gut instinct, I guess."

Kaito didn't speak up. Sirius was right, after all.

Without another word, he went back to his deck.

"Haruto," he thought, "I will become a better duelist. And I will," he placed Galaxy-Eyes down on the table, his eyes looking into the eyes of his favorite monster; "free you from your nightmares."

Sirius, who had sat down at his table, turned to look at Kaito.

As well as the card in front of him.

"You humans are amazing," Sirius thought to himself. "All capable of learning your reasons to duel in the time it takes for us Barians to blink." He narrowed his eyes, a faint smile tugging at his face. "Until it's time for me to leave, it will be my little mission to make sure your reasons don't fade."

"**Alright, Duelists!**" Heartland shouted through the intercom. "**It's time to get to your training! Please proceed to your assigned Dueling Training Rooms so you may begin. HEARTBURNING!**"

Sirius forced himself to stand up, his eyes on the speaker that carried Heartland's voice. "It shall also be my mission," he thought, "to make sure that madman doesn't destroy your reasons for dueling and replace them with his own."

Five minutes later, the teens were out of the lunchroom and heading towards their Dueling Training Rooms.

Towards the training rooms...

And towards their futures.

* * *

**D.T.B: ...So...does this need to be explained or is it already pretty self-explanatory? Happy Tenjo Week.**


End file.
